Located south of Düsseldorf in the densely-populated federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (with a total population of more than 17.5 million), Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, with more than 1 million inhabitants. Although the population is low relative to Germany’s other top locations, Cologne has a large catchment area and is surrounded by a motorway network providing easy access to neighbouring cities such as Leverkusen, Bonn and Aachen. Its highly-developed transport infrastructure makes it the biggest transshipment centre in inland Europe. Cologne is a major business location in Germany and the fifth-largest industrial region in the country. The media and communications sector provides a significant contribution to Cologne’s economy, with more than a third of all national programming produced in the Rhine metropolitan area. It also provides an important centre for the automotive industry, employing more than 27,000 workers.

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